Camp Caughnawaga Revised
by artgalmd
Summary: Dante and Lulu are married and expecting. After the birth of their child he reflects back to the time that two teenagers met at camp and how that meeting changed the course of his life.
1. Chapter 1

**Camp Caughnawaga**

**_(I have rewritten this story- eliminating the mob element- to make this a story of teenagers meeting at camp and how their meeting changed their lives)._  
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**Dante/Lulu AU that begins with the birth of Dante and Lulu's baby girl-as Dante is overwhelmed with joy over the newest member of the Falconeri clan, he shares how it all started when a hazel-eyed, blond-haired girl showed up at camp and stole his heart.)**

Present Day, General Hospital

"Breathe, baby. Hee, Hee, Hee...Huh, Huh, Huh," Dante sounded out, practicing the breathing techniques that he had learned with Lulu, while she stared at him with sweat pouring down her face, shooting daggers at him.

"Are you sure that this is normal?" Dante said, turning to Dr. Lee, "It doesn't seem to be working. Maybe something is wrong. Shouldn't you be doing something? Maybe give her something for the pain," Dante told the obstetrician.

"Honey, think beautiful things- the pier overlooking the water...um, the first Yankees game I took you to...oh, I know, that tree where we met for the first time," he said looking at Lulu with worry, as she squeezed his hand once again, cutting off all circulation in his body.

"Dante?" Lulu asked him, as he leaned in closer, "What is it baby? Whatever you need, you just tell me?" he said taking a cloth and wiping her brow.

"I wish I had NEVER met you! I am too young for this shit. Oh My God, here comes another one. I changed my mind, give me a fucking epidural!" she shouted nearly into his ear, as Dante jumped back, with a look of horror on his face, the contraction hitting Lulu so hard that her body jerked upwards.

"THAT is not normal, Dr. Lee!" Dante yelled, frantically, wondering where the hell his sweet Lulu had gone.

"We're almost there, Lulu. Nice and easy. I can just see the baby's head," Dr. Lee said, from a crouched position, between Lulu's legs.

"Baby, that hurts, don't squeeze so hard," Dante told her, trying to retrieve his hand from her grasp.

"That hurts! Why don't you try squeezing something the size of a watermelon out of a hole the size of a lemon! Then, you can complain!"

"Lulu, women have been doing this for centuries. You're doing fine," Dr. Lee said, trying to reassure her.

"See, baby, there's nothing to scream about. You're doing great!" Dante answered, as both women shouted in unison, "SHUT UP!"

Lulu released his hand and Dante stepped back, the feeling once again returning.

Jesus, he thought to himself, he had thought the hormones were bad when Lulu was carrying for nine months, but this...They should tell expectant fathers about this.

"Hee...Hee..Hee...Huh...Huh...Huh.," Lulu breathed quicker, as the contractions became closer and Lulu's fist gripped the sheets beneath her, "Oh God, " Lulu shouted, as a wave of pain hit her and she instinctively wanted to push to expel it.

"That's it. Yes. Push, Lulu. Come on. Almost," Dr. Lee said excited, as she reached down, guiding the baby's head gently from Lulu and reaching for the shoulders.

Dante walked slowly toward Dr. Lee, wanting to catch a glimpse of the miracle that Lulu and he had made. Dr. Lee leaned over Lulu and he had to step on the tips of his toes to get a look. She had her hands wrapped around something, "OH MY GOD."

"WHAT THE HELL is that?" Dante shouted, jumping back toward the wall.

"Ok, THAT should be in the book, Dr. Lee!" Dante yelled, shaking his head to dispel the vision of a bloody ball coming at him, like something straight out of a horror movie.

He heard Lulu scream and then drop to the bed exhausted, as he raced to her side. They both heard the sound of their baby cry, glancing at each other with tears in their eyes and huge grins spread across their faces, as they both looked expectantly at Dr. Lee for confirmation.

"It's a girl," Dr. Lee said, after cutting the umbilical cord and placing her in swaddling, handing her to the nurse on duty, who carried her to Lulu's waiting arms.

"A girl, you're sure? Dante, we did it." Lulu exclaimed, as her baby girl was placed in her arms and she smelled her perfect scent.

"No, baby you did it!" Dante answered softly, kissing her on the forehead, as tears streamed down his face.

"She's perfect. Look, Dante. Her fingers and her toes," Lulu cried, her voice choked with tears.

"I know, ten," Dante counted, using his hands to touch each and every one of his daughter's fingers and toes. She had a grip like her mama's, Dante thought, smiling.

"Dante," Lulu whispered, as exhaustion began to take hold and a nurse came to take her baby girl from her arms, "Here, let me get her settled," she cooed, walking away and murmuring to their baby.

"What is it, Lulu?" Dante asked her, kissing her softly on the lips.

"I like Gemma," she answered, collapsing from exhaustion.

"Gemma," Dante smiled, "Yeah, I like that too, honey. Gemma Rose Falconeri."

Lulu awakened to her body's aches, as Epiphany stood next to her monitor, glancing at her chart.

"You're awake. Someone is going to be very pleased to meet you," she said, looking at Lulu, as she turned to her husband asleep in a nearby chair.

"He looks exhausted," Lulu answered, smiling at how sexy and amazing he was even in sleep.

"The fool refused to rest until he knew that you were ok. He was out as soon as his head hit the pillow," she told her, "Do you want me to wake him?"

"No, let him sleep. Can I see her?" Lulu whispered, wanting to hold her baby in her arms.

"Do you want to see your, Mommy?" Epiphany cooed to the baby cradled in her arms, as she walked toward Lulu.

"I must be a sight to see, huh?" Lulu said, as Epiphany placed her daughter in her arms, "Hi, baby. It's your mommy."

"Lulu?" Dante said, awakening from his nap.

"Hey, daddy. Why don't you come say hello to your daughter," Lulu told him, grinning, as he bolted from the chair and stood next to the side of the bed.

"Oh, god she is so beautiful. Both of you are. Hi Gemma," Dante cooed, smiling down at his baby girl.

"Oh, Dante, look, she has your hair," Lulu laughed, noticing the full head of dark brown hair atop her daughter's head.

Dante leaned over Lulu, as tears of joy continued to stream down his face, "Honey, she's got your eyes," he exclaimed, kissing the top of Lulu's head and then the crown of his new baby girl's.

"She's so tiny," Dante questioned, in wonder, amazed at how perfect she was. His baby girl opened her eyes just then and two small, hazel eyes stared back, with a questioning look of their own.

"Hi, princess, it's your daddy," he told her, as she blinked multiple times and her mouth dribbled.

…...

Hours later, Dante sat in the chair, his baby girl cradled in his arms, as his wife lay asleep on her bed. He never thought that he could feel for anyone else what he felt for Lulu, but he was wrong. God, looking down at this perfect human being that they had created, he became overcome with emotion. He felt his eyes well with tears once again and grinned at what the guys at the precinct would think if they could see him now.

"She gets to you, doesn't she?" he heard his mother say, as she stood in the doorway, misty-eyed.

"I never understood, what you said before, mom," Dante told her, wiping the tears from his eyes, "about how you took one look at me and just knew that everything was going to be all right. Everything was just perfect," Dante replied, beaming with joy, as his daughter reached for his hand and held on tight.

"She's so beautiful, Dante," Olivia said, walking toward him, "Did you decide on a name?"

"Gemma Rose," Dante answered emotionally, standing carefully, and walking toward his mother.

"Do you want to hold her, Nonna?" he smiled, as his mother looked back at him with amazement at her granddaughter.

"Could I?" she said, as he placed little Gemma in her arms, "Oh, she is so perfect, Dante."

Dante Falconeri leaned against the wall, his heart completely filled with joy. On the bed to his right was his beautiful sleeping wife and to his left was the woman who had brought him into this world.

"And to think this almost never happened," Olivia said, crying and laughing at the same time.

"What do you mean?" Dante asked, uncertain what she was referring to.

"You fought me tooth and nail that year, don't you remember. You said that coed camps were lame. You wanted to go to baseball camp," Olivia laughed.

"Hey, I remember now. What was that camp called? Oh, yeah, Camp Caughnawaga," he recalled, a huge grin erupting across his face. That was the first day of the rest of his life, he remembered fondly. The day that he lost his heart to a freckle-faced, blonde-haired girl who didn't want anything to do with a rascal like him. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"The Princess meets a Frog"

"Hey, Ma! That's bunk," a fifteen year-old, Dante Falconeri told her, with hands folded across his chest, standing his ground.

"Yo, don't you hey ma, me, Dante Angelo Falconeri!" Olivia Falconeri told her son, with one hand on her hip.

"I don't want to go to some coed camp, Ma! Tommie Poletti is going to Yankees camp and so is Ronnie Dimestico," Dante sulked, adamant about not attending some stupid camp in the middle of nowhere Canada.

"Oh yeah, well news flash, baby. Tommie Poletti's father probably bribed the owner to get Tommie to go. Have you seen his fastball? And don't even get me started on your pal, Ronnie, Dante," Olivia answered, shaking her head in disbelief.

"But, Ma! Mr. Corrinthos said that he would pay for it!" Dante replied, with one finger raised, prepared to defend his position.

"You get that finger out of my face, Dante!" Olivia shouted, pushing his hand out of the way, "Sonny Corrinthos is not going to give us beans, do you hear me! I have raised you by myself your entire life. I have changed your diapers, put clothes on your back, and paid for your baseball games, Dante. Do you even realize how much I have sacrificed for you, baby? I work all day, but still find the time to play stickball with you, to go to your games. Baby, isn't that enough? I know that you had your heart set on baseball camp, but there's always next year."

"Aiight! That's what you said last year. You know ma, sometimes you can be such a buzz kill!" Dante told her, stomping away, working out in his mind how he was going to get out of this.

Olivia Falconeri placed the last box in the back of her fire-engine red Chevrolet Corvette, careful not to scratch the exterior. This was her other baby, her prize possession, with its dark interior and elongated front end. And at the price she paid for it, was practically a steal. Olivia loved cars, especially fast cars. She loved the speed beneath her fingers, as she sat behind the wheel and she loved the thrill that overcame her when she lifted the hood and gazed lovingly at the 375 horsepower engine with dual-overhead cam. This baby was the king of the hill.

"Knock it off, Dante," Olivia told him, sliding behind the wheel, and running her hands over the black leather steering wheel. Pure heaven, she thought, smiling.

Dante slid into the passenger seat next to her, sinking down into the seat, as he reached for the seatbelt beside him and buckled it, "No need to go postal, Ma. Jeez, Louise. Let's Roll."

"Let's roll? Is that what you kids are saying these days. Back in the day, Dante I was pretty fly too. I was hip with the slang. Damn skippy, I was," Olivia answered, proudly.

"Oh My God, Ma! Don't even go there!" Dante replied, horrified that his mother was trying to talk like his friends.

"What?" Olivia asked him, grinning as she teased him, "That wasn't dope enough for you?"

"Ma, I'm buggin, here. Stop, Aiight!" he replied, turning his gaze to the window and the long drive ahead.

"Yo, your still my baby. Always will be. There isn't any language that is going to change that. Love ya honey."

"Love you too, Ma!"

Lulu stared out the window of her father's Hummer, angry that once again she got the shaft. How was it that Lucky got to go trekking across continents, but she had to spend the next few weeks at some stupid camp.

"Princess, you have to talk to me sometime," Luke Spencer told her, as he turned right, onto a gravel path toward the lake in Algonquin Provincial Park where the camp resided.

"As if, Dad? How could you do this? A camp? Why does Lucky get to jet off to Europe with you and I'm being sent...here?" Lulu said, emphasizing the size of her prison, as they rolled into the parking lot.

"Dumpling, you know that I would take you if I could, but I need someone to pose as a German art collector and well your brother is down with that," he said, stepping out of the vehicle and closing the door, as Lulu sat defeated in the front passenger seat.

"Fine. I'll just suffer," she told him, as she exited the Hummer and grabbed her backpack from the back seat. Luke reached for a large duffel bag and a hobo bag and stood alongside Lulu, taking in the wilderness surrounding them.

"I don't know, cupcake. This doesn't seem so bad," he answered in amazement, thinking what a grand time she would have. He turned to his daughter and tapped her nose with his finger, a grin upon his face. Just then, a red, sleek corvette pulled up and a fine-looking woman stepped out of the car, "Wow, nice."

Lulu Spencer looked over at the fancy sports car and saw the young man with dark, messy hair step out. He looked up and she inhaled deeply, catching her breath at the sight of his soulful, brown eyes.

"Time to bounce, cupcake," Luke said a bit too loudly, handing her the bags, as she stood with her mouth agape, pushing the wire-rim spectacles higher on her nose.

"Dad!" she exclaimed, hating how he called her that in public. She clutched the bags tightly, and shook her head in disbelief. Parents, she thought, walking toward the camp entrance.

"See you in six weeks, pumpkin!" Luke yelled, behind her, waving, as he got into his Hummer and backed up, driving out of the parking lot.

"Yo, Dante. Look," she said, grinning and nudging him with her elbow, "Make me proud."

"Ma!" Dante Falconeri answered, rolling his eyes, as he grabbed his duffel bag and the sun shown brightly into his eyes. He walked toward the nearest tree in search of the shade and placed his bag on the ground.

"Miss you, baby. Write everyday. Promise?" Olivia demanded, following him and pulling him into a hug. Dante's arms hung loosely at his sides, as his mother embraced him, his mouth pressed tightly as she leaned over him and kissed him on the head.

"Gawd, Ma! We're in public," he whispered, breaking their embrace. He shook his head, embarrassed, as his mother kissed his forehead and pinched his cheeks.

"Maybe this wasn't a good idea."

"Ma, I'll be fine."

"You sure, baby? It's not too late. We could go back to New York. Take the ferry to Staten Island-"

"I'm sure, Ma. Go on. Get outta here," Dante told her, grinning, one hand pressed to his forehead, as he shook his head.

His Ma was nearly to her car, when he spotted her, a freckle-faced, reed-thin girl, with glasses sliding precariously down her nose.

"Hi, you going to camp here?" she said, looking down at her beat-up sandals. They were pretty fugly, Dante thought to himself, noticing how she had freckles on her legs and arms too.

"Nah, I'm just chillin," he said with an sarcastic edge to his voice, "What are you bunk?" he said, shaking his head, as he walked toward the entrance.

"Eat my shorts!" Lulu shouted, tossing the braids that rested on her shoulders, as she lugged her duffel bag and backpack and followed him into the camp.

Olivia Falconeri leaned against her car, smiling, as she watched the exchange. She had spunk and Olivia liked that, "Yo, Dante," Olivia called to him, as he stopped in his tracks, turning to her with dread, knowing what she was waiting for.

"Baby, I love you," she told him, her hand clutching the door's handle.

Here? Really? His social life would never recover from this.

"I love you too, Ma!" he fired back, a pair of dimples appearing on his face.

Lulu Spencer gazed at the young man a few feet away, dressed in faded blue jeans and a dark gray tee-shirt with the Yankees logo on it. A smile spread across her face, her insides feeling like mush.

"Dante," she thought to herself, that was a great name, as she raced up along side of him and jumped into the conversation head first.

"Hi, my name is Lesley Lu Spencer, but my friends call me Lulu," she told him, extending her hand in greeting.

Dante just ignored her hand and continued walking, "Name's Dante," he answered, glancing behind him, relieved to see his mother pulling out in her corvette.

"Is that your sister?" Lulu asked, as he looked at her like she was wiggin, "My sister? Nah, that's my ma."

"Wicked! She must have been in grade school when she had you, huh?" Lulu answered in amazement.

"Ah yeah, you ready to bounce?" Dante asked her, extending his hand and directing her to lead. She smiled back at him and he felt as if someone had tugged at his heart, the feeling was so intense.

Damn, she was bangin, he thought staring at her backside as she walked toward the entrance.

"What did you say your name was again?" Dante asked, with a wicked grin on his face.

"Why? Weren't you listening the first time?" Lulu replied, as a camp counselor directed them toward a large group of kids sitting on the grass nearby.

"Girl, I'm all that...and a bag of chips," he answered, sarcastically, as she shook her head, a huge grin plastered across her face.

"As if?" she replied, steering toward a nearby tree and taking a squat in the shade. Dante looked up at that tree and then back down at the girl, before sitting beside her on the grass.

"Pleased to meet you, Lulu Spencer," he said, extending his hand.

"Who are you again?" she replied, mischievously.

"Just the man of your dreams," Dante answered, with a cocky grin.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**"Velma, Daphne, Fred and Scooby-Doo"**

"So...you from around here?" Dante asked Lulu, while the camp counselors were several feet away checking off names on their lists. Lulu looked over at Dante, shrugging her shoulders and nodding no, before looking back at the crowd of kids in front of her. Her spectacles started to slide down her nose and she pushed them back up with her fingers, "Here and there. My family has a house in Port Charles, but we're always off on some grand adventure. So, don't see it much."

"We?" Dante asked, curious as to whom she was referring.

"My dad and my older brother," she told him, turning as she heard everyone gasp in surprise.

"Nice!" someone shouted out loud next to her, as a Porsche Boxster pulled into the parking lot. It was canary yellow with the window rolled down, and a blond bombshell with wavy tresses and large sunglasses sat behind the wheel. The woman was a hottie. Someone straight out of a movie, Dante thought.

Lulu Spencer stared transfixed as the passenger door opened and out jumped a younger version of the driver with a pixie style haircut and the latest baby doll fashion dress complete with thigh-high stockings and mary janes. She looked like she stepped off of the pages of a magazine, headed for a fashion shoot. Definitely not six weeks of camping. She was stylin.

"Wow! Now she's the bomb!" someone next to Lulu said, as Dante turned with a look of surprise on his face.

"Ronnie!" he said, giving him a fist bump and then using his other arm to give him a welcoming hug.

"Sup, b?" Dante's friend answered, glancing at Lulu with a look of curiosity before turning to the object of everyone's attention, "Hey, who's the babe. She's slammin," Ronnie replied, eye-balling Maxie up and down.

"Dude, what happened to baseball camp?" Dante asked, ignoring the short-haired blond as he stood perplexed as to why Ronnie was here.

"Dante, hot girl, 12 o'clock," Ronnie answered, realizing that he hadn't even noticed the newest arrival.

"Ronnie? Baseball?" Dante replied in irritation, as he looked up at the sky and rolled his eyes.

"Don't go there, pal! Ma said, not enough Dead Presidents, can you believe it man!" Ronnie answered, using his fingers to give the universal symbol for money.

"That blows," Dante answered him, shaking his head in disbelief. He looked down at Lulu again as she sat on the ground, playing with the clasp of her sandals.

"Hey, Ronnie, this is Lesley Lu Spencer," Dante said, introducing her, as she stood and wiped her hands on her cut-off shorts, smearing dirt on the jeans. She wore a white tee-shirt with a flannel shirt over it, tied in a knot at her waist.

"My friends call me Lulu," she said to Ronnie Dimestico, sliding the glasses up her nose, as they once again slid down. Ronnie sent his pal a quizzical look, and Dante returned his own that said step off.

"Hey, what's up, Lulu?" Ronnie asked her, in greeting, as Dante turned and answered, "It's Lesley Lu, to you, Ronnie."

"So, did you guys like live in the same city?" Lulu questioned, attempting to initiate small-talk.

"Bensonhurst," Dante replied, as Lulu looked up with a dumbfounded look on her face, "But, that's in New York."

"I'm aware," Dante answered, lifting an eyebrow. The chic was cute, but he wasn't sure if she was playing with a full deck.

"No, I mean, I know it's in New York. I'm from New York. Port Charles, remember," Lulu replied, using her hands to push her to a standing position alongside Dante and his friend, Ronnie.

"Small world," Ronnie answered, rolling his eyes at Dante, while nudging his arm. The babe was going to come their way any minute.

"So, we could have passed on the street, or attended the same Yankees game,' Lulu said in awe, as Dante just shook his head at her and laughed.

"Yeah, I guess we could have, but its highly unlikely. I'm the next best thing to sliced bread. That makes me unforgettable," he told her, with a cocky grin, as Ronnie turned to Dante and smacked him on his arm, "Hot babe alert!"

Lulu Spencer pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and got a good look at the girl that all the guys were ogling. She was slim, blond and wore the latest fashion and when she walked she had an air about her that said classy. Lulu disliked her immediately. She was Daphne to Lulu's Velma and secretly Velma always wanted Fred. Dammit, this time, Lulu thought pushing her glasses up her nose again and brushing the dirt off of her shorts, Velma was going to get what she wanted. Fred was going to be hers, not Daphne's.

Maxie Jones glared into the sports car, hating her mother with every fiber of her being, as she grabbed the couture bag and placed it on her shoulder. She reached back inside and took the vintage duffel bag, pulling it out as well.

* * *

><p>"I cannot believe that you are leaving me here," Maxie said bitterly, "Dad wouldn't have."<p>

"Your father, Maxie, is off with his latest partner in crime, fighting some gorilla warfare group in Africa. Believe me, Maxie, he would have left you here," her mother answered, shaking her head.

"Look, I'm not punishing you, honey. It's just that well, Lorenzo doesn't like children and baby if we are going to keep the lifestyle that we are accustomed to well, mommy's going to have to use everything she has to ensnare him. Do you get me?"

"Yeah, I get you mother but, six weeks. Mom, you're taking away my 90210. How am I supposed to deal?" Maxie pouted, trying to change her mind.

"You'll figure it out. Who knows, maybe you'll meet some new friends," her mother told her, sliding her shades down her nose and eyeballing the boys for her daughter, "There's some cute ones here."

"I hate you! Just thought you should know," Maxie told her, as her mother put the car in reverse.

"Good. That's something that we can work on at our next therapy session. Bye baby, have fun."

"Fun! This will be as much fun as a root canal," Maxie shouted, hitting the top of her mother's car as she pulled away.

Prison, that's what this was, complete with wretched campfires, stupid stories and boys with zits on their faces. The brochure said that this was the King of all camps, the best in Canada. As if, Maxie thought, walking toward the a group of teens to her right.

One tall, Italian-looking dude was ogling her like she was a meatball sandwich. The other, shorter one, took one look at her and dismissed her- just like that. He turned to the skinny blond girl at his side. What the hell, she wasn't going to be ignored for some twit who was in dire need of a makeover. She was Maxie Jones, daughter of famous spy, Frisco Jones and dammit she was important.

She was going to rule this campground. You just wait and see.

All of them would be eating out of the palm of her hand, she thought grinning. Yeah, six weeks of camping could be great. She was in need of some serious pampering.

"Here, let me help you with that!" Ronnie said, rushing up to reach for her bags, as a coy smile spread across her face, "I could use an assistant. What is your name?"

"Ronnie, Ronnie Dimestico, at your service," he told her, using his best moves to flirt with her, "You are one hot chica. How come you got stuck with us?"

"Bad luck I guess, but that's about to change, my friend. I'm about to add some fun to this dreary place," she told him, her eyes scanning the campgrounds in irritation.

"What do you say we shake up this camp?" she asked, with a grin.

"I say sign me up. If you need any assistance at all, you just call on your good friend, Ronnie," he told her, carrying her bags to one of the camp counselors.

"Excuse me, Miss, but you'll have to hold onto those until we have the cabins ready," one of the female counselors told Maxie Jones, as she glanced down at her attendance listing.

"Emily?" Maxie stated, reading the name on the counselors tag, "My grandmother, Filomena, left a sizable donation to this camp and I'm sure that it wasn't to have me carry my own bags."

"Right," the counselor said with a smirk, as Maxie Jones walked away, "That one is a little snit," Emily said turning to another counselor, "No special treatment. I don't care who her grandmother is."

* * *

><p>"That's right," Ronnie told Dante with a cocky grin, "Dimestico's still got it."<p>

"Seriously, got what?" Dante asked, raising his eyebrows at his deranged best friend.

"I'm this close," Ronnie said, pressing his thumb and his index finger together, "She likes me."

"You keep telling yourself that, Ronnie," Dante laughed, shaking his head, as the counselors came in their direction.

"Name?" the female counselor called Emily, demanded, as she looked at Dante and Ronnie.

"Dante, Dante Falconeri," he said looking at Lulu and grinning, "I love baseball. Personally, think that the Yankees are going to take the Series this year. White-water rafting, cliff-jumping, cars that go fast and endless nights beneath the stars playing stick ball."

"I asked for your name, Falconeri, not your bio," the counselor answered, rolling her eyes at the kid. She was tired of this shit, dealing with prep-school kids and getting paid crap. She might as well throw on a costume and work Disneyland, the treatment was the same, but at least the pay was better.

"Name's Dimestico, Ronnie Dimestico," his friend said, grinning at the counselor with the red ponytail and poking Dante in the side, "I like driving fast cars too."

"What are you fifteen?" the counselor questioned, raising one eyebrow.

"Hey, almost sixteen. I'll have you know that in a few months I get my learner's permit. Then watch out and move aside," he replied, laughing, while nudging Dante in the side.

"Oh joy," Lulu answered, once again pushing her glasses up her nose, as Dante watched. He wondered what her eyes looked like without the glasses, peering past the frames to see a pair of surprised hazel eyes staring back.

_Snap out of it, Falconeri_, he said to himself, shaking his head and running one hand through his hair.

Lulu glanced at her new friend Dante and smiled when he did that thing with his hair. He was nervous again, she thought, giggling softly. She knew that because in the few minutes that she had met him he had done that like five times now, shuffling his feet a little and adjusting his stance. It was cute. He was cute, she thought. But, way out of her league, she told herself, turning her gaze to Maxie Jones, who was eyeballing Lulu's Dante. I saw him first, she thought, moving a little closer to Dante, as the counselor turned in her direction, lifting her gaze to Lulu's.

"What? No cute little comments?" the counselor, questioned her, in a snide tone.

"No. The name's Lesley Lu Spencer. But, everyone calls me Lulu," she said, in a soft voice, her eyes dropping once again to the sandals that encased her feet.

"Lulu has the craziest adventures out of all of us," Dante answered, grinning, as he nudged her in the arm.

"Oh yeah, I just bet she does. A whole family of criminals," she answered sarcastically, shaking her head.

"You have no idea," Lulu whispered under her breath, as the camp counselor moved down the line.

"Name?" she said, again, looking down at the chart.

"Hm. You should have it memorized by now," Maxie Jones told her, as the counselor looked up and dread rolled across her face.

"You again? Move aside your plaid is making my head spin," the counselor replied, as Maxie Jones glared back at her.

"I don't have to stand here and listen to this," she told her, outraged.

"You know," the counselor said, looking down at her paperwork, "Maxie Jones? You're right, you don't. There's the parking lot. Find a ride. Otherwise, find a spot and start roosting. Contrary to what your parents might of told you, this isn't any day spa. No one is going to cater to your privileged little behind. For the next six weeks, Camp Caughnawaga owns you, body and soul. And I personally, intend to make every last one of you spoiled, pampered brats sweat."

"Dude, I think that we're at the wrong camp?" Ronnie told Dante, with a look of horror on his face, as he followed him toward a nearby tree and sat down in the shade.

Lulu trailed behind Dante, her eyes wide, as she continued to listen to the counselor rant and rave about the upcoming weeks.

Boot camp, that's what this was, she thought. It was plain as the buckle on her sandals. The next few weeks were going to be harsh.

"Don't worry," Dante told her, leaning over to whisper, so that the counselor couldn't hear him, "Her bark is worse than her bite."

"I thought that this was your first year here," Lulu asked him, as she sat indian-style next to him on the ground.

"It is. But, I know her kind. Seen 'em lots of times," he said, grinning, "My Ma taught me how to handle people like that when I was still learning to tie my shoes," he said, winking.

"When was that? Yesterday?" Lulu grinned, her smile spreading across her face.

"Funny. Keep it up you could be a comedian some day," Dante answered, his laughter causing his eyes to sparkle.

"Yeah, maybe. No worries, though, you know. I'm a Spencer. We aren't afraid of ANYTHING."

"You don't say," Dante replied, in a mocking tone, "Must get pretty lonely up there in that ivory tower, princess."

"I'm not some spoiled princess, Dante Falconeri, "Lulu Spencer fired back, standing and placing her hands on her hips, "But, if I were, I certainly wouldn't want to be rescued by the likes of you." And with that, she turned in a huff, stormed off, and found a tree several feet away.

"I didn't say that you were spoiled, Lulu," Dante shouted, jumping to his feet and yelling from across the campground. Lulu glared back at him, turned her back and kept walking, dropping to the ground next to some geeky kid.

"I just meant that every now and again, it's good to depend on someone else," he muttered under his breath.

"Girls," Dante thought, shaking his head in confusion. He was just trying to tell her that if she needed someone to look out for her, he was her guy. "Forget you," Dante said to himself, turning toward Ronnie and the girl with the pixie-cut that sat alongside him.

"Hey, I'm Dante. What was your name again?"

* * *

><p>"Who's that?" Lulu asked, the skinny geeky guy named Damien, that sat beside her, "The tall, Ominous One, never seen him before," Spinelli answered, curious as to who he was. He must be important, he thought, as he saw a man step out and survey the area, before stepping next to the young man.<p>

"Dude, he's packing!" Ronnie shouted to Dante, noticing the sidearm, underneath the older man's jacket. He sported a pair of Ray Bans and looked mean as hell.

"What is he like the President's son, or something?" Maxie asked, straightening her clothing. Limos meant money and that meant that he was definitely within her dating pool.

"The President doesn't have a son. He has a daughter," Lulu shared, rolling her eyes, as Spinelli looked at her with admiration.

"The Blond One is both intelligent and beautiful. I will be honored to call you friend."

* * *

><p>Johnny Zacchara stepped out of the limo and scanned the wooded surroundings and the gawking teenagers. He hated when his father sent him on these retreats. It was punishment, plain and simple. He knew that Johnny would much rather be practicing his piano lessons, then here, pretending to socialize with snobby trust-fund babies. Truth was, most of these kids families were petrified of his father.<p>

Anthony Zacchara wasn't exactly playing with a chess set. In fact, most people he came upon found out too late just how crazy Anthony Zacchara could be. As a young boy, Johnny had witnessed his father's insanity first-hand, as he watched him gun down his mother. Johnny had never doubted his father's fascination with murder from that day on, making sure to tread carefully and stay out of sight. Anthony wanted to groom his son, of that Johnny had no doubt. He wanted to turn him into the most feared mob boss on the eastern seaboard. Anthony thought that it was in Johnny's best interest to follow his father's lead and do as his father directed.

Truth was, it wasn't by his father's orders that he found himself here. Anthony was on the verge of taking out his rival, a mob boss that controlled a vast majority of the seaports in New York, New Jersey and far up into Maine. Johnny's father meant to change that, to eliminate his threat. He wanted his son to witness his power, to stand beside him as his rival fell. But, Johnny had other plans. He convinced his father that sending him to camp would keep him away from Sonny Corrinthos' goons. No way could the kingpin use him against his father if he didn't know where he was. Fact was, Sonny Corrinthos probably didn't even know that Johnny existed and well, Johnny had no intention of being a pawn in his father's game of chess. If his plan was to work, he'd need to send that King piece sailing off the chess table. Johnny knew with a fact, that he wouldn't even think about looking back. The bastard would never even see it coming.

"Go, now," Johnny told Murphy, focusing on the henchman in front of him, dismissing him with an authoritative tone.

"Report to my father that I arrived safely," he ordered, "and I'll expect you back here in six weeks," he told his father's henchman, knowing that it truly irked him to take any directive from Johnny.

"I'm well aware of your father's orders, Mr. Zacchara. YOU be here in six weeks," he told Johnny, stepping into the car and closing the door. He drove off and Johnny released a long breath, one that he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Sometimes, pretending to be the prodigy of an insane father made you start to feel like you were going crazy. Johnny picked up the large duffel bag and draped it effortlessly behind his back, walking toward the young teens a few hundred feet to get this plan started.

"I should probably introduce myself," Lulu told Spinelli, jumping to her feet, pressing the escaping strands of hair back into her braids and attempting to brush the grass stains from her shorts. She made one last attempt at keeping her glasses perched at the top of her nose, before taking a deep breath and approaching the newest member of camp.

"Blond One, I don't think that it is wise to approach the Ominous One. Wait up," Spinelli shouted, springing to his feet and following a few steps behind her.

'Hi, I'm Lulu," she said, holding out her hand, waiting for the tall dark-haired kid to accept it. His eyes seemed to look through her, as they swept over her from head to toe. She felt goosebumps erupt upon her body, terrified for the first time in her life.

The boy was mysterious and dangerous. The look on his face spoke volumes. He seemed out of place among the rest of them. Dark and foreboding.

"Ominous One," Spinelli acknowledged, as Johnny raised an eyebrow.

Dante Falconeri watched her practically run to the newest guy in camp, extending her friendship to yet another. She was green, Dante could tell straight off and that innocence was going to cause a lot of trouble for her. Ignoring the ramblings of Maxie next to his side, Dante rushed off to Lulu's defense, a feeling of dread coming over him, as he realized that her lack of fear was going to get him in hot water as well.

"Hey, I'm Dante," Lulu heard from her side, as she felt his hand brush hers, as he held his hand out in offering to Johnny. This time a very different kind of trembling shot through her body. She took a deep breath and glanced to her left, wondering what it was that had just happened.

But, Dante's face was like a mask revealing nothing.

"Johnny," he told them, leaving out his last name and sizing Dante up with one glance. They were like two Alpha males battling for their territory. Lulu just wasn't sure who they were fighting over. She peered over her shoulder. Maxie Jones stood several feet away, ogling Johnny who hadn't even appeared to look in her direction.

"Where you from, Johnny?" Dante asked suspiciously, not liking him for a second. Johnny had bad apple written all over him. His kind didn't have any business hanging out with someone as innocent as Lulu Spencer. No matter how much she insisted that she could take care of herself.

"Here and there, sometimes PC," he said, as Lulu glanced up and smiled.

"You're from Port Charles, too," she asked, as Dante moved a little closer to her, his eyes never leaving Johnny's.

"I am. You too?" Johnny questioned her, locking his most flirtatious smile on her.

"Sometimes. My family travels a lot too. We have something in common," Lulu answered, smiling, as Johnny reached for her hand, pulling her away from an irritated Dante.

"Lulu Spencer? Hm, now why does that name sound familiar?" Johnny asked her, as she laughed, letting him lead her away.

"I don't know. I guess my family is kind of famous," she said, remembering Dante and glancing back at him.

"Are you coming?" she asked, stopping to wait for him, as she witnessed a strange look on Dante's face.

"Right beside you," Dante told her, wanting her to laugh like that for him. He reached her side and gave Johnny a sly smile of his own, pulling her into his side.

"I for one, would love to hear about your family's adventures, Lulu," Dante told her, directing her toward Ronnie and Maxie, as her newly found friend, Spinelli came running up behind him.

"They're not really famous," she shared, looking at Dante, with a look of uncertainty, as he raised her hand slightly in his.

"So, tell me about the not so famous Spencers." he replied, as Lulu inhaled a short breath of air, feeling his thumb stroke quickly across the top of her hand.

It caused shivers to rack her body and sent a warmth deep down inside her that she had never felt before. Gazing deeply into his eyes, she felt a crack in the barrier that she had worked so hard to construct around herself.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Dante told her, seeing the panic that passed fleetingly across her eyes, "Your secrets are safe with me," Dante grinned, clutching her hand in his.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**"I may play the fool at times but I'm a little more than just a pretty blonde girl..."**

**(Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe, Friends)**

"Ok, my little dominions, line up, single file. Give me your name and then I'll assign your cabin number. Pay attention, my little trust-fund babies, I won't be repeating it twice," the counselor, named Emily told them, as they lined up in front of her.

"Do you hear how she refers to us?" Maxie Jones said, resting one hand on her hip in displeasure, "My grandmother is going to hear about this. She won't be able to so much as step foot on this campground next year."

"I don't think that she really cares," Lulu whispered, her eyes focused on Dante, who had his back to her and was talking to his friend Ronnie.

"I heard that he's really into baseball, you know," Maxie insinuated with a devilish smile,"if you play your cards right, maybe he'll teach you all of the bases," she laughed, standing in front of the counselor.

Johnny stood a few feet away, chuckling, his hand over his mouth. He looked up and caught Lulu's eyes.

"Huh?" Lulu replied, baffled by Maxie Jones' comment.

"Jones," the counselor announced, peering down at her list of names.

"Who wants to know?" Maxie answered, turning toward the counselor and popping a wad of pink bubblegum, with folded arms on her chest.

"Cute, Jones. Go ahead, keep it up," Emily told her, lowering her voice to answer, "I'll be on you like a flea on a dog," she said just above a whisper, "You're in cabin 1. Next!"

"Spencer," the counselor yelled, as Lulu raised her hand and awaited her cabin number.

"Looks like you'll be roommates. You're assigned to Cabin 1 also," Emily answered, "I'm counting on you to keep an eye on this one, Spencer. I see a real troublemaker in our midst."

"Whatever," Maxie replied, grabbing Lulu's arm and pulling her toward their cabin, "I can tell that we are going to be the best of friends."

Lulu grabbed her bag and reluctantly followed Maxie Jones, turning her head to catch a glimpse of Dante standing at the table. He looked up at her and winked, holding up three fingers. He was in Cabin number 3, that was only two cabins over she smiled thinking that camp might not be such a bad idea after all.

"Do you have a preference to top bunk or bottom bunk?" Maxie Jones asked Lulu, as she switched the name tags assigned to each bunk, placing her own on the bottom and dropping her bag onto the bunk, staking her claim.

"I can't take the top bunk. I requested the bottom bunk," she said dropping her bag to the floor, as she looked up with dread at the top bunk.

"Oh, well, as you can see, I've already placed my bag on the bottom, and besides my name is clearly written on the tag," Maxie told her pointing to her bag resting on the mattress, "It wouldn't be right to change it. I guess that you could sleep on the floor. I can't imagine that it would be comfortable at all, though," Maxie said.

"Um, no. I'll manage," Lulu answered, not quite sure how she was going to get through the night on top.

"Why don't you try it out? Go ahead," Maxie taunted her, noticing how Lulu's eyes darted toward the bed, her pupils growing larger by the second.

"I don't need to-" Lulu started to say, as her hands became clammy and her feet restless.

"What are you chicken? You're not afraid of heights are you?" Maxie asked her, laughing at Lulu's distress.

Fact was, Lulu was deathly afraid of heights. A little tidbit that she didn't like to share with others. She smiled halfheartedly, saying the names of the President's to keep her panic attack at bay. _Washington, Adams, J, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe._

The air became harder to breathe and Lulu's throat felt constricted..._Adams, JQ, Jackson, Van Buren_...she said to herself, as she fought to maintain control. She could do this, she thought, staring at the top bunk, as her eyes became wider and her fear began to take over.

"Jones, Spencer, we're waiting! Sometime before Christmas would be nice," the counselor shouted, as Lulu Spencer sighed in relief and bolted for the door.

"Here," Lulu answered, as she raced out of the cabin, stopping just short of Dante. Her face was flushed and she sucked in a breath, as her chest rose and fell quickly and she struggled to stop the ensuing attack. She was going to pass out, she thought, as her vision became slightly blurry and a sheen of perspiration blanketed her skin. _Harrison, Tyler, Polk, Taylor, Fillmore_...she chanted softly, waiting for the attack to pass. She felt his hand reach for hers, wrapping around it, as their fingers intertwined and she turned, discovering his cocky grin.

"Miss me?" he asked, noticing how quickly she gravitated to him.

"Not a single bit," Lulu answered, with a witty grin of her own, "In fact, I seem to have forgotten your name," she told him, giggling, "What was it again?"

"You didn't and you won't EVER. I need a first baseman, Lulu. I could teach you. Want to play?" Dante asked her, chucking her chin and pulling her toward an open field where a lot of the other kids had already assembled.

"Baseball?" Lulu said, a bit disorientated, as images of Dante showing her lessons in all of the different bases flooded her head.

"Yeah, baseball. You game?" Dante said, reaching to push a long lock of her blonde hair from her eyes. The gesture caused Lulu to take a short breath and she turned red in the face.

"Baseball?" she answered, as Dante looked back at her with a grin, "Is there an echo out here? You do play, don't you?"

"Sure, but I'm no Don Mattingly," Lulu shrugged, her racing heart slowing down, as she followed him toward the field.

"Neither am I, or I'd be at baseball camp," Dante grinned, laughing under his breath. It was rare that a chic new anything about baseball, especially the greatest first baseman ever. Dante smiled, the action causing his eyes to brighten and Lulu to catch her breath.

_What the hell was happening to her? Snap out of it, Lulu, _she said to herself, running to match her pace to his.

* * *

><p>"Come on!" Maxie Jones, appointed umpire, shouted, jumping up from her crouching perch to yell at Camp Counselor, Emily, "That was on purpose."<p>

Before the game started Lulu, Dante, Ronnie, Spinelli, Johnny and Maxie were each appointed their assigned spot on the field. Lulu was guarding first base, Dante was up to bat, and Ronnie was pitching.

"Hey, batter, batter!" Spinelli yelled from the sidelines, placing his hands near his mouth to project his voice.

"Yo, Spin-" Ronnie said, turning in Spinelli's direction, "Do you mind? I'm concentrating here."

"Dude, we could be here all day," Dante replied, dropping his bat to his side and mocking his friend. He was finding it a little difficult to focus himself, as Lulu Spencer leaned forward, bending her knees and assuming the stance. She had one hand ready to catch with her mitt, while the other made a fist, hitting the leather, her gaze taunting him, daring him to strike it in her direction.

"If that's what you want Lulu, that's what you'll get," he said under his breath, "But, you'd better prepare yourself," Dante grinned, loving a challenge.

"Bro, this year?" Dante tormented Ronnie, raising the bat and practicing his swings, as he sent a wink in Lulu's direction.

Ronnie wound his arm several times, releasing a fast ball that sailed across the field to Dante, the sound of the whistling ball intensifying as it struck the bat.

"Crack," was heard, as the ball hit the bat and it was propelled toward Lulu's left side. She leaped toward it reaching with her mitt to catch the ball, as Dante ran toward first base, his shoes at maximum warp speed.

"Oh, Oh, Go Blond One," Spinelli cheered, clapping his hands in glee, as she caught the ball, pivoting on her foot and attempting to tap Dante on the shoulder, as he touched the plate a second before he felt her touch, "You snooze, you lose." He continued to taunt her, dancing back and forth, as the next batter, Johnny Zacchara came to plate.

"A few of us are going to meet at the lake after dark," Dante told her with his back to her, waiting to steal the next base.

"I thought that we have a curfew?" Lulu whispered, watching as the batter swung, missing the ball completely.

"Strike One," the umpire, Maxie Jones yelled, as Johnny Zacchara turned toward her with a grimace, "It's not my fault you suck. Why don't you aim a little higher, DiMaggio?"

"Sweetheart, why don't you just focus on his balls," Johnny teased, pointing in Ronnie's direction, as Maxie Jones hand created a fist, "and leave the batting to me?".

"That's it. This is war," she fumed, looking at Ronnie Dimestico for reassurance. With one hand she gave the sign for a breaking ball, signaling to go low.

"If you're so smart, Maxie, what pitch do you think that he will throw next?" Johnny asked her, with a cocky grin.

"Pitchers never throw the same pitch twice," she told him, lying through her teeth, 'So, my guess is that he'll do a changeup, try to confuse you. That shouldn't be hard to do," she muttered, with sarcasm.

Johnny prepared for the pitch, anticipating the promise of a fastball that would begin to slow down on approach.

Ronnie grinned, answering the vixen umpire with a touch of his hat, pinched his nose and scratched his balls, as he smiled gleefully, winding his arm back and releasing. The pitch moved downward, narrowly missing Johnny Zacchara's manhood, as he jumped to the side and dropped the bat to the ground.

"What the fuck was that?" he shouted, as the camp counselor sent him a disapproving look, "Did you see that? THAT was on purpose," Johnny said, stalking off the field.

The counselor rang a bell, announcing the call to lunch and Ronnie moved toward home plate, as Maxie Jones slowly stood up.

"Remind me never to piss you off," he said, as she grinned, high-balling him, "Yo, Dante, you coming?"

Dante started toward the home plate, halting when he heard Lulu's soft voice.

"No big deal, Lulu. I understand," he replied, as Maxie Jones and Ronnie ran up to them.

"You asked her, didn't you? Let me guess, she doesn't want to break the rules," Maxie baited, inflecting a bite to her words.

"As if, Maxie, and yes, I'll be there," she told a very surprised Dante, who grinned from ear to ear, as she walked quickly toward Spinelli.

"Then, it's a date," Dante whispered softly, as Maxie leaned in and said, "Did you tell her what we're doing?" Maxie laughed, eagerly anticipating tonight's games.

* * *

><p>"Lights out!" the counselor said, checking the cabins and ensuring that they were secure, before proceeding to her own for the night.<p>

Once silence filled the air once more, Maxie pulled the blanket off of her, revealing her plaid skirt and white blouse beneath. She reached for her shoes and looked over at Lulu, who had moved her mattress to a space on the floor, "You coming?"

"Yeah, right behind you," Lulu answered, struggling with what to wear.

"I have just the thing," Maxie told Lulu, reaching for a box of tissues from her vintage bag and tossing them on the mattress beside Lulu, whose back was to her.

Lulu stood confused, looking down at the box, as her hands wrapped around her bra.

"You stuff them," Maxie told her, grabbing a few and wadding them up and holding them out to Lulu.

"That's ridiculous," Lulu answered, peering over her shoulder, mortified, as she spotted the tissues in Maxie's hands, "I don't need them and I'm not putting those," she said pointing at the tissues, "here," she whispered, looking down at her breasts, and brushing her hand against the real reason she was nervous. Maxie Jones had no idea. Small breasts were the least of Lulu's worries, as one hand ran over the thin jagged line that marked her skin.

"Fine. Suit yourself. Just trying to help a girl out," Maxie replied, "I know what boys like."

Maxie Jones adjusted her white blouse unbuttoning a few buttons at the top, just a hint of her bra peeking turned giving herself a side view and smiled, pleased with her curvy shape. Smoothing her hands over her plaid skirt, she brushed out the imaginery wrinkles and ran her hands through her short hair one last time, tucking one errant strand behind her ear.

Lulu Spencer took one final glance at her chest, an uneasy feeling taking over as she looked down at the old scar. If only tissues could hide the ugliness she looked at every day. The reminder of the past.

I hate this, she muttered under her breath, retracting her hand and reaching for a teeshirt. Tossing her glasses upon the bed, she pulled the shirt over head, followed by a long-sleeve sweatshirt, tugging it down over her jean shorts.

"Good. Let's roll," Maxie replied, a secretive smile erupting across her face, as Lulu placed her spectacles upon her face.

"Is there something going on that I don't know about?" Lulu whispered, innocently, following Maxie out the door.

"You like games, right, Lulu?" Maxie said, laughing boldly. Lulu shushed her, as they neared the cabin where the boys stood outside.

"What kind of games?" Lulu questioned, a knot suddenly forming in her stomach.

"Anyone ever tell you that you ask a lot of questions?" Johnny told Lulu, exiting his cabin and joining them.

Lulu shrugged her shoulders, "I'm a Spencer."

"You don't trust anyone, do you?" Dante asked her, walking toward them with Ronnie in tow, "Your secret's safe with me."

"I don't have any secrets, Dante," Lulu lied, hugging her bag tighter.

"Not even one?" Dante said softly, a grin upon his face, as he gently tugged on her hobo bag, a smile spreading across his face as she released it.

"None," Lulu answered, adamantly, folding her arms across her chest.

"I'm bored," Maxie Jones interrupted, as Johnny laughed, pulling her a few feet further ahead, "I have just the cure for that."

"I think you're lying," Dante told her, leaning closer and tossing the bag upon one shoulder, keeping a steady pace a few steps in front of her.

"I am not."

"Are too," Dante grinned, making an about face and walking backwards, his face toward Lulu.

"I don't like you much," Lulu told him, stopping and holding firm to her ground.

"Why? Because, I speak the truth?"

"The fact that you speak at all irritates me," Lulu admitted. "I don't know why."

"You like me," Dante whispered, so close his lips nearly brushed one braid.

"Doubtful," Lulu answered, her heart pounding. She didn't like the emotions that were churning within her. Not a single one.

"You like the outdoors?" Dante asked her, interrupting her thoughts, as his eyes took in her over-sized sweatshirt. NYPD.

"Hate it," Lulu replied, turning her attention toward her surroundings. Truth was, she was more at peace in these woods, then any part of Port Charles.

"Your Dad a cop?" Dante inquired, staring at her sweatshirt, a puzzled expression on his face, as he tried to size little Miss Lulu up.

"My Dad? No. He doesn't like rules much," Lulu shared, giggling, as she pulled up the sleeves of the sweatshirt and nervously yanked the sweatshirt downward covering the top half of the shorts, "Me either. Why are you so interested in what I have to say anyway? Wouldn't you rather be talking to Maxie?"

"Maxie Jones? Not in this lifetime," Dante shared, chuckling. Girls like Maxie Jones were few and far between in Bensonhurst. Dante liked to think that was a good thing.

"Why are you here?" Dante asked her, watching the surprised look on her face. He loved her face. Her every emotion fleeting across it.

"I love looking at the stars at night," Lulu told him, changing the subject. She wasn't ready to share with anyone why her father brought her here. Or, how it made her feel.

"The stars?" Dante replied, his brown eyes locked on her hazel ones, fascinated by every word that emerged from her lips.

"The whole sky. It makes me feel, I don't know, more important. Like somewhere out there someone just like me is staring at the same night sky. It's pretty cool. You ever think that?"

"Not recently," Dante grinned, brushing a strand of hair from her face and tugging on one braid. Lulu shivered.

"Why the sweatshirt?" Dante questioned, "You wanna be a cop?" he grinned, nudging her in the shoulder.

"Maybe. Why not?" Lulu said out loud, stopping and folding her arms on her chest, "I'm smart. I solve things. I would make a great detective."

"Nancy Drew, maybe," Dante laughed, as Lulu punched him in the shoulder, an irate expression on her face, as she sprinted ahead of him, up the path toward the others.

"I was kidding," Dante shouted to her retreating back, as they broke through the trees and came upon the lake.

"You would make an amazing detective, Lulu," Dante said, grinning, as Lulu spun around, a glare on her face, "I'd arrest your skinny, sorry butt."

"Hey, who you calling skinny?"

"Last one in is a rotten egg," Ronnie exclaimed, from a few short feet away, shedding his clothes down to his briefs and jumping into the lake water.

"Did he just-" Lulu started to say, as Maxie Jones emerged from the trees, unbuttoning her white blouse.

"Shit, it's cold," Ronnie laughed, as Dante sent him a warning look, while simultaneously glancing over his shoulder. The last thing they needed were one of the camp counselors to come looking.

"Maxie?" What are you-" Lulu uttered, mortified, as Maxie stood there in a fuschia bra, her perfect breasts nearly spilling over, as she leaned over and started pulling off her shoes.

"You coming, Lulu. Not chicken are you?" Maxie asked, daring Lulu to follow her.

"I didn't bring a bathing suit," Lulu reminded Maxie, watching as her newfound friend dove into the lake, breaking free from the water, her bra and underwear now sodden, "Neither did I," Maxie commented, "Lulu, get in the water. We're not skinny-dipping."

"Did someone mention skinny-dipping?" Ronnie chimed in, a smile spreading across his face.

"Don't even think about it, Ronnie!" Dante warned, as the grin fell from Ronnie's face, "Pal, you are no fun."

"Hey, no worries," Dante told her, turning toward her, while tossing his shoes to the side and pulling his tee-shirt over his head, "We can go in together. If you want," he told her, reaching for her hand.

It wasn't skinny-dipping, Lulu thought, suddenly scared out of her mind, as Dante tossed his tee-shirt aside and stood before her.

She was finding it a little difficult to breathe at the moment, her eyes transfixed to the sight of a shirtless Dante. He was lean and fit, a small tuft of dark hair just beginning on his chest. Her eyes remained glued, taking in every inch of him, her cheeks flaming, as she blushed every shade of red.

"Like what you see?" Dante grinned, placing her hand against his skin, "I'm thinking of getting a tattoo," he told her gliding her fingers over his right nipple, "Something that means something. Solidarity between friends, maybe. Ronnie and I are like brothers. Would be cool to have matching tattoos. What do you think?"

"Um...that could be cool," Lulu answered, trying to concentrate on every breath that went in and out of her body. Her hand tingled where Dante pressed it against him, her fingers flexing against him, causing a tingle of electricity to course through her body. Startled, she elicited a gasp.

"Hey, you all right?" Dante asked her, a sudden concern on his face, as his hand gently lifted her chin, directing her eyes to his face.

"Never been better," Lulu whispered, shuffling her feet, as she tried to dispel the strange feelings taking over.

"Nervous, huh?" he commented, tapping her nose with his finger, "Don't be. Ronnie, turn around, pal," Dante ordered, as his reluctant friend, turned his back on them.

"Hey, buddy. It's getting cold in here. Speed it up would you?" he shouted, with a grin, peering over his shoulder.

"No peeking, Ronnie!" Dante demanded, pointing his finger at Ronnie, "It's just you and me now, Lulu. We can be nervous together," Dante whispered to her, pulling his jeans from his body and standing in front of her in his boxer shorts.

"Oh My God," Lulu exclaimed, morified, as she spun around, her back to him and one hand pressed against her sweatshirt.

_How the hell was she going to do this?_

"I knew that she was chicken," Maxie Jones shouted from the water, "Cluck, Cluck, Cluck," Lulu heard along with a series of splashes.

"Ignore her, Lulu," Dante replied, moving closer, reaching for her glasses and plucking them from her face.

I can do this, Lulu thought, reaching for the hem of her sweatshirt and pulling it over her head. She heard Dante's reassuring words, letting his voice chime in her head, as she clutched the bottom of her white tee-shirt tightly, her fingers frozen.

"I'm going to stand in front of you. So, no one else can see. O.K.," Dante told her, moving in front of her, his back toward her, blocking her from everyone else's sight.

Good God, he was even more amazing form behind, she thought, the sight of him, causing her to forget her nervousness for just a moment.

With trepidation, and the little nerve she had left, Lulu tugged the tee-shirt upward, pulling it over her head and tossing it on the pile of clothes that rested near Dante's feet. With shaking hands, she unbuttoned her shorts, letting them fall to her feet, and stepping out of them.

She'd never felt more naked in her life. Standing in her bra and underwear underneath the stars, the boy she had developed a serious crush on a few feet away.

Oh God! What the hell was she thinking!

"How you doing back there?" Dante asked, his voice a little high, as he tried not to think about what she looked like and if she was still wearing clothes.

"I'm ready," she mumbled, as Dante started to turn toward her, "No, wait. I'll go in with you, but you can't look. Promise?" Lulu begged, holding her arms tightly across her chest and shivering in the night air.

"Hey, you got my word, Lulu. No peeking," Dante assured her, wondering how the hell he was going to keep himself from glancing over.

"That goes for you, too, Ronnie," Lulu reminded Dante's friend, who was in the middle of a splashing fight with Maxie at the moment.

"Yeah, yeah. Just get in the water, sweetheart," Ronnie replied, his back to her, as Maxie kept scanning the woods.

_Where the hell did Johnny run off to?_

"Ok, I'm ready," Lulu whispered, taking Dante's hand and moving slowly toward the water's edge.

"Wow. The backside is even better than the front," she heard from behind, as Johnny emerged from the trees, "Blue. Nice."

"What did you say?" Dante told Johnny, pushing Lulu behind him, shielding her from Johnny's gaze, a feeling of anger coming over him, "Show some respect."

"Relax, PAL. Don't get your panties in a twist," Johnny responded, sidestepping, as Dante lunged for him. They struggled for a bit, each trying to strike the other.

"Stop it," Lulu shouted, hugging her arms tightly around her body, backing away, as they fought. Tears welled in her eyes, as she watched them try to pummel each other.

"Ouch," Dante exclaimed, bending over and clutching his abdomen, as Johnny wiped the smear of blood from his lip where Dante's fist had barely brushed.

"Shit, Falconeri. I didn't come here to fight."

"Bullshit," Dante muttered, brushing his hand over his left eye, a smear of blood appearing.

They both rose to their feet, their eyes on each other, neither one willing to give up in defeat.

Lulu Spencer had never felt more angry in her life. They were acting like animals. Claiming their territory and practically punching their chests like apes. Her hazel eyes were dark gold, her hands clenching at her sides, as she stepped closer to them. She was practically, shaking. But, not from cold, or even nerves.

She didn't realize what she'd done, until she heard the splash, their startled shouts.

"Hey," Dante exclaimed, as his backside met the water, drawing him under. He came up a few seconds later, a sputtering Johnny a few feet away, suffering the same consequences.

Lulu stood on the bank of the lake, her arms still folded across her chest. Dante could just make out the blue bra that peeked out each time her chest rose. His eyes trailed down further over her alabaster skin, pale in the moonlight. He stopped at her belly button. An inny. She was shaking, her face a mask of anger.

Dante glanced over to Johnny who had all but forgotten the incident and was now immersed in the same water fight with Ronnie and Maxie.

He glanced back to Lulu who had turned her back on him and was reaching for her clothes on the ground.

"Oh, no you don't," Dante voiced to himself, swimming to the shore, a devilish grin on his face.

"I knew this was a bad idea," Lulu sulked, grabbing each article of her clothing and shaking the sand from them.

"Stupid Maxie. I shouldn't have let her talk me into this. He's not even that cute," Lulu said aloud, disgusted with herself, "And he's arrogant. He's cocky. He's...He's-"

"Don't let me stop you," Dante responded, grinning, as Lulu pushed him backward, muttering.

"What did you call me?" Dante answered, now having the upper-hand. Lulu caught her breath, suddenly nervous at the expression on Dante's face.

"I said that you are a lousy base-hitter. I hope the Yankees don't win a pennant," she commented, watching his eyes darken, his feet sidestepping with hers, "And that the only shortstop you'll be playing is in the pee-wee- Oh," Lulu gasped, as she found herself flung over Dante's shoulder.

"Put me down, Dante Falconeri," Lulu shouted, as her hands beat upon his bare back, "You're going to regret this."

The next thing Lulu Spencer felt was the water closing in over her, as her body breached the lake's surface. She bobbed up, spitting water, a laughing Dante Falconeri swimming at her side.

"Why you?" Lulu fumed, using all of her pent up frustration and dunking Dante under the water. He pushed through the surface a few seconds later, his retaliation swift, as she was lifted in the air and tossed a few feet away. She landed with a loud splash. The water kept raining on her, as Dante splashed her over and over. She put her hands in front of her face, but it was no use. The only defense was a good offense. So, she started splashing back, moving in closer, as Dante found himself shielding his face, the water pummeling him. They played for what seemed like hours, each taking turns playing the aggressor.

"Who's got game now?" Lulu laughed, as a strange expression came over Dante's face. He swam closer, and Lulu's heart stopped a beat. The moon shone brighter in the night sky, and a sudden fear overcame her. A feeling of the unknown. A feeling that the next few seconds were going to change her life. Forever.

"I have been waiting hours for that," Dante admitted, his body treading water, as one hand pushed a wet braid from her shoulder and caressed the soft skin.

"To dunk me?" Lulu whispered, smiling, as she floated on her back in the water. Her mind was a muddied pool of thoughts. For the first time in her life she found herself questioning her every action. She was nearly naked, swimming unauthorized in a lake with the boy she had a crush on a few short feet away. It was incidents like these that would never get her in the Police Academy.

"That too," Dante said, grinning, interrupting her thoughts, "Want to tell me about it?" he asked her, his hand tracing the faint scar that ran jaggedly between her breasts.

"Nope," Lulu answered, pushing his hand away, and dropping into the water, her face now level with his.

"I'm a good listener," Dante assured her, his mouth moving closer to hers. She could feel his breath against her lips. So close. A startled feeling causing her lips to part and her tongue to peek out.

"There isn't a story to tell," Lulu replied, shutting him down. Some thing's were better left in the past. How she got that scar was one of them.

His arm wrapped around her, pulling her closer, his lips nearly touching hers. "Well, I'm here. If you change your mind," Dante reminded.

She closed her eyes. Eager to know what it would feel like. The brush of his lips against hers.

She could hear his breathing. Feel his frantic pulse in tempo with hers. Imagined the brush-

"Hey, Pal. We're shivering here," Ronnie shouted from the shore, as he stood next to Maxie and Johnny.

"Be right there," Dante answered back, one hand wanting to throttle Ronnie for breaking their spell. A grin formed on his face as Lulu released a sigh. Of disappointment, he thought.

"I forgot about them," Dante told her, treading water, "We could-"

Dante felt his head go under one more time, this time a startled expression on his face, as he broke the surface.

"Was this all a game to you?" Lulu replied, mortified, touching her lips.

"Lulu, relax. We didn't do anything."

She turned her back on him.

"Hey, are you ok? Are we-?"

"This was a bad idea," Lulu said softly, turning toward him, before swimming toward the shore.

"You. All of this," Lulu continued, once her legs were steady, and he stood next to her.

She wrapped her arms around her chest. "I need my clothes," Lulu said softly, as Dante went to retrieve her bag.

"Here, let me-"

Lulu felt his fingers brush the side of her breasts and a tingle shot up her spine. She grabbed the sweatshirt from him and pulled it over her head. It clung to her wet body, offering no comfort.

She nearly stumbled as she tried to pull her jean shorts over her damp skin, "I got it," she informed him, pushing his hands aside, and buttoning her shorts.

"You had fun tonight, admit it," Dante told her, reaching for her arm, and directing her gaze to his. He leaned in, a huge grin upon his face, "You're just pissed because it didn't happen."

"As if," Lulu replied, allowing his arm to wrap around her shoulder, his warmth comforting.

"It'll happen, Lulu. Maybe not tonight, or tomorrow night. But, I'm willing to bet my Mickey Mantle card on it."

"Maybe I've changed my mind," Lulu commented, "Can't be that big of a deal."

"Ha. No way," he said, watching her face, waiting for her to tell him otherwise. His heart stopped a beat, "Have you?"

"I haven't decided yet. Maybe, I'm not willing to bet my rookie Mickey Mantle card that you're worth it," she told him, grabbing her hobo bag from the ground at her feet. She grabbed her head for a moment, feeling dizzy.

"Ouch," Dante replied, one hand clutching his heart, stopping as he noticed her pale color, "You all right," he asked, a concerned look on his face.

"I'm fine," Lulu answered, her face heated from embarrassment, a slight smile on her face, "Just need a second to catch my breath. What? You think you did this?" Lulu replied, with a slight laugh, "As if."

"No worries, Lulu. I got just under six weeks to change your mind," he told her, grinning, as he took her hand in his and walked toward the others.

"Happy happy. Joy joy," Lulu mumbled beneath her breath, a smile tugging at her face, as she thought of the days to come.

"Hey, look what I got," Ronnie bragged, holding a six-pack of beer, "Any takers?"

"Where did you get that?" Dante questioned, his hand still entwined with Lulu's.

"Does it really matter?" Ronnie grinned, handing one to Maxie and Johnny. He took one for himself and extended the remaining three toward Dante and Lulu.

"No, thanks. I don't drink," Lulu commented, tugging her hand from Dante's and spying a nearby log, She took a seat, one hand clutching her chest, a sheen of perspiration on her skin, as she sat, completely out of breath.

"Never? You should at least try it," Ronnie baited, tearing one can from the pack and extending it toward Lulu.

"I can't. But, thanks," Lulu told Ronnie, pulling a bottle of water from her hobo bag. Dante sat down next to her and Ronnie offered a beer to him, too.

"I'll pass, pal. Thanks," Dante answered, turning toward Lulu who was rifling through her bag, "Got another one of those in there."

"Sure," Lulu replied, handing him a bottle. She watched Dante unscrew the cap, tilt his head back and down nearly half the bottle, while she rummaged, searching for an item in her bag. She began to panic when her hands didn't find it.

"That bad, huh?" Dante questioned, as Lulu's eyes searched inside the bag, no bottle in sight.

"I don't know what you mean," Lulu responded, willing her beating heart to slow and the dizzy spell to pass.

"Headache?" Dante assumed, tucking a few strands of blond hair behind her ear, "Ronnie can be a-"

"Pain," Lulu replied, releasing a laugh, as her pulse became steady and the dizzy spell disappeared. She scooted closer to Dante, her hazel eyes peering into his.

"Come here," Dante suggested, pointing to his shoulder.

Lulu rested her head on his shoulder, exhaustion taking hold, "This doesn't change anything, you know. I haven't changed my mind."

"Ha. I'm growing on you," Dante whispered in her ear, "I can tell. You practically fainted at my feet."

Lulu placed her hand on Dante's chest, felt the steady heartbeat beneath, as she closed her eyes, letting the sound lull her to sleep.

Dante smiled, loving the feel of her breath against his neck, as he shifted, wrapping his arm around her more securely, grinning as her body relaxed against him.

"So, Brooklyn, huh?" Johnny commented, interrupting Dante's quietude with Lulu.

"Bensonhurst, actually. Born and raised," Dante answered, as his hand rested on Lulu's hair, tucking the loosened strands back into her braids.

His gaze turned toward Lulu, who lay sleeping on his shoulder.

"Hey, Dante. Did you catch the game last Sunday?" Ronnie asked Dante, taking a swig of his beer, "Mattingly was Ah-Mazing," he said, while tossing a few sticks on the fire and stoking it.

"Got that right," Dante responded, as his pal, Ronnie and he spent the next ten minutes debating the plays of the Yankees.

* * *

><p>Lulu Spencer awoke to laughter, the chest beneath her face vibrating with each outburst.<p>

"Hey, you're awake," Dante said, smiling, as she lifted her head and wiped the sleepiness from her eyes.

"Oh My God. I'm so sorry. How long was I out?" Lulu asked softly, a little disorientated, as she glanced at her surroundings.

"Not long," Dante replied, brushing his thumb against one cheek, "Truth?" Dante asked, continuing, "I like your head against my shoulder."

A smile spread across Lulu's face, her cheeks becoming slightly pink and a sparkle twinkling in her eyes, as she sat up straighter, leaning against Dante.

"Look who's decided to join us," Maxie commented, sarcastically, as Lulu covered her mouth, hiding a yawn.

"Little Miss Thing," Maxie replied.

Johnny Zacchara rose to his feet, walked over to where Lulu sat, taking a seat next to Lulu, "Hey sweetheart. Mind if-" he began, then stopped, as he took the water bottle from her hands and tilted his head back, emptying it.

"You're an idiot, you know?" she told him, as Dante handed her his bottle.

"Ass is more like it," Dante muttered under his breath, keeping an eye on Johnny.

"So I've been told," Johnny noted, sending a cocky grin in her direction, "Got another one of those?" Johnny asked Ronnie, as a beer can was tossed toward him.

"Hey," Dante whispered, nudging her in the shoulders and bringing her in closer.

"Hi," she answered timidly, as Dante slid even closer, their knees touching, as he wrapped his arm around her, "So, what should we do first? I vote for camp stories."

"Stories?" Lulu asked him, turning her head and practically touching her lips to his, as they each displayed startled expressions.

"Boring campfire stories, I'll pass thank you. Who wants to play a little game I call-" she said looking at Lulu Spencer, "Truth or Dare."

"Sure," Lulu answered nervously, praying that she didn't get the first question.

"Great, I'll start," Maxie said, looking at Johnny, "Truth or Dare?"

"Dare," he told her grinning, waiting for Maxie's question, "I dare you to kiss Lulu," she told him, as Dante looked at Maxie with a very displeased expression.

"I don't think-" Lulu started to say, as Johnny turned and pressed his lips to her mouth. It was quick. A peck on the lips. It felt wet and sloppy she thought, her face turning red, as a feeling of embarrassment overcame her.

"My turn," Johnny said, turning to Dante Falconeri, who pulled Lulu closer. He muttered something under his breath about jacking someone up and Johnny grinned, no sign of worry. He turned to Lulu asking her a question, "Truth or Dare?"

"Truth," Lulu said, practically choking on her words, "Have you ever been to first base?"

"What?" Lulu said.

"A few hours ago," Maxie whispered, irritated, "Just answer the question, Lulu," Maxie demanded out loud, chiming in.

"I don't think-" Lulu started to say, as Dante interjected.

"Not funny and definitely bunk, bro," Dante said to Johnny, ending the game, "Come on, I'll take you back to your cabin. The counselors will start looking for us, if we don't get back soon."

"Bro, it was just a question," Johnny replied, chuckling, as he took another swig of his beer, "Guess I got my answer," he said with a twinkle in his eye, his gaze directed at Lulu, "Let me know when your willing to stay up past curfew, Lulu. All is fair in love and war."

"Come on, we'll let them finish their game," Dante told Lulu, reaching for her hobo bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

"Hold up, I'll come too," Ronnie said, standing to follow, as Dante sent him an annoyed look, "Or, I could just stay here a few minutes longer.

Dante walked her down the wooded path toward the cabins, holding her hand, as the silence of the night engulfed them.

"I'm not innocent, you know? I know what he meant," Lulu shared, suddenly stopping in front of his cabin. She turned around, looking directly into his eyes, "Go on. Ask."

"Lulu, I'm not-," Dante told her, moving forward, as he caught his breath, and watched her retreat, her back hitting the side of his cabin, as the darkness surrounded them.

"Say it," Lulu ordered, one hand clutching his upper arm.

"Come inside with me," Dante suggested, gently tugging her toward the entrance.

Lulu Spencer's breath caught in her throat, her teeth biting her bottom lip, as she let him pull her inside.

"Lulu," Dante continued, his face shrouded in darkness. She watched him run his hand through his hair, struggling with what to say.

"Fine. Have you?"

"No, I haven't," Lulu said softly, her cheeks turning a bright shade of pink, "But, I wonder what it-"

"Don't, Lulu," he said, bringing her in closer and resting his head on hers, inhaling the fragrance of her hair.

"You smell incredible," he told her, as her chest rose and fell and her body became flushed to the touch, "Lulu?" he questioned, and she nodded in acceptance, suddenly excited, but nervous too.

"Truth or Dare?" Dante asked her, as her hands shook.

"Dare," she answered, as he pulled her toward his bunk, gently pushing her onto it, sitting down beside her.

"I'm going to kiss you. Are you going to stop me?"

"No," she answered, honestly, her heart skipping a beat, knowing that he wasn't referring to the kiss that Johnny placed upon her earlier. She gazed into his eyes, as he looked back at her with curiosity.

Dante used one hand to trace the softness of her skin from her ear to her shoulder. Lulu sighed, shivers spreading throughout her body, his touch teasing her skin. Instinctively, she pressed closer and Dante inhaled sharply.

His hands moved toward the bottom of her sweatshirt, their movement ceasing, as his eyes locked on hers, "You sure?"

Lulu Spencer nodded her head, a different kind of pain in her chest, as he tugged the sweatshirt upward, tossing it to the floor at their feet. She placed her hands at her side, her white tee shirt tight against her skin.

She felt more connected to him now, more than any other person in her life. It was strange. But, not scary strange, Excited strange. She wanted to explore these feelings more. She wanted so desperately to be kissed by Dante. To stop the tormenting that his presence caused.

"We don't have to-" Dante started to say, as Lulu boldly lifted her hand to his mouth and placed a finger against his lips.

"I want to," she told him, closing her eyes and puckering her lips like she saw in the movies.

"Open your eyes, Lulu," Dante laughed, finding her expression humorous, "What isn't that right? I think that I saw Julia Roberts do that once," she said innocently.

"A first kiss should be special, Lulu," he told her, tracing her lips with his fingers, sucking in his breath as she bit her upper lip, nervously.

"It should be memorable," he told her, moving closer, pressing his lean body to hers and feeling her quiver against him, "Are you scared?"

"Maybe a little," Lulu admitted, wanting so desperately to understand what she was feeling, "But, I don't want you to stop."

"Good. Because, Lulu, I've never wanted to kiss someone so much in my life," Dante told her, revealing his feelings openly.

He pressed his lips gently to hers, closing his eyes and taking in her lips softness, as he heard Lulu moan. He raised one hand to the side of her head and used his fingers to memorize every strand of her golden locks, as he meshed his lips to hers, gliding them back and forth, coaxing her mouth to part.

She sighed, the press of his lips sending electrical pulses deep into her body, his teeth catching her bottom lip and tugging on it.

Lulu gasped, and Dante broke their embrace, a concerned look on his face, as he whispered, "You ok?"

She nodded, her hands moving toward his neck, wrapping them around him.

"You?" she asked, softly, her nose resting against his.

"I feel like Mickey Mantle. I'm up for bat for the first time and I'm nervous as hell," he laughed, gently moving his head side to side, brushing his nose against hers.

Lulu laughed, and a grin spread across Dante's face, "What?"

"Leave it to you to find a way to bring up baseball," she giggled, her laughs stopping, as she peered at his face.

"Lulu," Dante told her, his tone serious, as one hand released the strands trapped within her braid, quickly unbraiding the other side and running his hands through her silky, blond hair, "I don't want to talk baseball."

"Duh?" Lulu laughed, as his mouth pressed against her, silencing any further words. He grabbed the hem of her tee shirt, pulling it over her head, stopping, as Lulu used her hands to cover herself.

Gently, he coaxed her arms to part, falling at her side, as she sat completely exposed before him. She felt his hand trace the scar that marked her chest, leaning toward her, placing a kiss within the hollow. Goosebumps erupted on her skin and her heart beat faster in her chest, each breath a bit more difficult. She felt lightheaded, her skin flush to the touch. He kissed the side her neck, soft brushes. Fleeting. He moved closer to her mouth, her heart pounding faster. This time she felt his tongue dart inside, releasing a gasp of surprise, as his tongue tentatively touched hers. He pressed harder. His kisses more demanding, his body pressing her back against the bed. Her pulse pounded withing her chest. Her breathing shorter. He felt her arms wrap tighter around his neck, her body flush with his, as an intense feeling tore through his body.

"Stop," Lulu whispered, her very air, disappearing, suddenly frightened of the feelings rushing through her, "I can't breathe."

"I know. Me too," Dante muttered, "Wow. You feel so good, Lulu, " Dante told her, his mouth caressing her lips, gentler now, as her words barely registered. He pressed several more kisses along her forehead. His hands moved lower and she felt her small breasts ache, a tightening in her chest, as her breathing became more shallow and her pulse beat rapidly.

She placed her hands against his chest, pushing backward, "No, I mean...I... can't...breath, Dante."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Dante's eyes met hers, saw the panic, his expression changing from that of desire to a frenzied look upon his face.

"Lulu?" he questioned, his actions frantic, as he watched her face become paler, her chest rising and falling rapidly, one hand gripping his tightly, "Lulu, look at me."

Lulu was disorientated. Her mind unfocused. Her arrythmia, resulting in a panic attack. Her pulse beat fast, her head pounded, as she struggled, her distress making it even more difficult to breathe.

"Washington, Adams-J, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe," Dante chanted, his eyes locked with hers, "Breathe, Lulu. In...Out...In...Out," he said, softly, while his hands gently stroked her arms. One hand reaching toward her face, wiping the moisture from her forehead.

Lulu listened to the sound of his voice, the cadence's familiarity calming her, his voice causing her pulse to slow, the pain in her chest to lessen.

"Adams-J," Dante continued, as Lulu's chest began to rise less frequently, her hand stopping one of his, her lips parting, "Adams-JQ," she told him, with a smile.

"That's what I said," he told her, his pulse slowing down, as he watched the color return to her face and felt the slowing beat of her heart, "John Adams."

"It's John Quincy Adams," Lulu informed him, her breathing more steady now, as she tried to sit up, a head rush hitting her and sending her back to the pillow beneath her head.

"Easy, slugger," Dante told her, brushing the hair from one shoulder and glancing down at the pale white line between her breasts, "Tell me what to do."

"I need my pills," she told him, raising one hand to her aching head, "I thought they were in my bag."

Dante grabbed her bag from the floor where she had dropped it and pushed the items aside, a few candy bars, another bottle of water, a hair band, a small book, an apple and a small bag of peanuts, "It's not here."

"I know. I must have left it in my cabin," Lulu replied, completely exhausted.

"I'll get it," Dante told her, brushing his lips across her forehead and darting toward the door, "Will you be all right?"

"I'll be fine. Go," she ordered, stopping him as she said his name, "Dante?"

"Yeah," he said, turning toward her, a look of panic on his face.

"Thanks."

"Anytime, Lulu," Dante replied, "I'll hurry back."

He returned a few minutes later, a pill bottle in his hand, a questioning look on his face, "It was on your bed. If it's not it-"

"No, that's it," Lulu told him, starting to sit up, as Dante rushed to her side, "Let me help," he said, reaching for a bottle of water from her bag, handing it to her and then opening the pill bottle and placing one in her hand, "Just one?"

Lulu shook her head, holding out her hand, as she told him two. He tilted the bottle dropping one more pill into her hand and unscrewing the cap from her bottled water. Placing one hand behind her head, he watched Lulu pop the pills into her mouth, taking a swig of the water and swallowing them down.

"I'm fine, you know," Lulu reminded him, watching the myriad of emotions that passed across his face, "I won't break if you sit close to me," she told him, as he reached for her teeshirt and held it out to her.

She pulled it over her head, scooting over a few inches on the bunk, and patting the space beside her. Dante attempted to sit down next to her, half of him falling off the bed, as Lulu giggled.

"This is ridiculous," Lulu remarked, shifting, as she turned toward him, half lying on him, "Much better," she told him, placing her head on his chest.

"I'm don't know where to begin," Lulu said softly, nervous, as her hands gently stroked his naked chest.

"Later," he told her, one hand tracing where the scar was beneath her shirt, a strange expression on his face, "Get some sleep."

* * *

><p>Some time later, Dante awoke to a soft knocking on his cabin door, "Lulu, open up. Look, I know you're in there. Dante?"<p>

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he gently, pulled himself out from underneath Lulu, careful not to awaken her.

"What do you want, Maxie?" he asked, pulling a tee-shirt over his head and closing the cabin door behind him. He sat down on the cabin steps and stared up at the night sky.

"Have you seen Lulu?" Maxie asked, sitting down beside him and pulling out an emery board to file her nails, "She's not in our cabin."

"She's not here," Dante lied, curious as to why Maxie Jones was suddenly interested in Lulu's whereabouts.

"You left with her," Maxie reminded him, watching his face.

"I did," Dante told her, leaning in close, "At her door, Maxie. Maybe she went for a walk."

"A walk? It's the middle of the night, Dante."

"Believe it or not, Maxie. Some people actually enjoy being outside. Walking through the woods and just staring up at the stars."

"Please, you're making me yawn," Maxie shared, placing her hand over her mouth, "Really? Where is she?"

"I don't know, Maxie. Like I said, she's not here. If you give me a few minutes, I'll go inside, put some shoes on and help you find her. I'm sure that she's probably back in her cabin as we speak- sleeping. Something I would like to get back to, but-"

"I don't believe you. ," Maxie continued, shaping her nails, squinting at the tips and then pocketing the file. She rose to her feet and stared down at Dante, "You're hiding something. Maybe someone?"

"Why do you care, Maxie?" Dante asked, rising to his feet and standing beside her.

"I don't..See you at breakfast, Dante. Don't be late," Maxie ordered, turning her back on Dante, "Bye, Lulu."

"I told you, Maxie. She's not-"

"Whatever, Dante," Maxie shouted, turning around the corner of the cabin and disappearing from sight.

"No worries. I got rid of her," Dante said aloud, as he slipped back inside, pulling his tee-shirt over his head.

He tossed the shirt atop Ronnie's bunk and glanced toward the bed, a smile upon his face.

The bed was empty.

"Dammit, Lulu," Dante muttered, taking a seat upon the bed and dropping his head back upon the pillow. He reached behind him, pulling it out from beneath him and placing it to his nose. Her fragrance eminated from it. Grinning, he closed his eyes and fell asleep with thoughts of her on his mind.

* * *

><p>"So?" he asked her, leaning against a tree.<p>

"He hasn't seen her," Maxie told him.

"You believe him?" he asked her, as she brushed her hand up and down his arm.

"What do you want with Lulu anyway? It's not like you like her, or anything, right?"

"Lulu? No. I just don't like Dante," he admitted, pushing himself away from the tree and moving toward his cabin, "Goodnight, Maxie."

"Night, Johnny."

Maxie walked back toward her cabin, muttering to herself about blind boys and promising herself a full week at her favorite spa in New York when the summer was over. She slipped inside the cabin door and closed it behind her, a look of surprise on her face, as she spotted Lulu asleep on the bottom bunk.

Maxie pulled off her shoes and removed her clothes, grabbing a pair of cotton shorts from her drawer and an over-sized tee-shirt and pulling them on. Climbing into the top bunk, she pulled the scratchy blanket over her and closed her eyes.

On the bottom bunk below her, Lulu Spencer tugged on her bottom lip, clutching her blanket against her chest and contemplating the events of the night. She smiled, recalling the baseball game and their antics at the lake, a line of worry marking her forehead, as she thought about everything that occurred in Dante's cabin. She never should have let her guard down. She knew what his reaction would be. What everyone's reaction always was. The minute she had tried to explain, he had shut her down.

"Later," Lulu whispered, wiping the tears from her eyes, "I thought you were different."

Truthfully, Lulu couldn't blame him. He seemed so concerned at first. Devoted.

Right up until the moment she wanted to discuss it. Her imperfection.

Then, everything changed.

Lulu pulled the blanket over her head and closed her eyes, reluctantly letting the tears fall and sleep take her.

* * *

><p>"Mind if I sit here?" Lulu heard, as she dug her fork into the pancakes on her plate and took a bite, shaking her head.<p>

"Those any good?" Johnny asked, using his fork and stabbing into her pancakes, stealing a few.

Lulu glared back at him, reached across her plate and lifted the carton of milk toward her mouth, sipping it from a straw.

"Not talking, huh? I get that," Johnny continued, popping open the can of Coca-Cola and taking a swig. He clutched the can in his hands and directed his gaze toward Lulu, "My old man, he talks too much. Sometimes I just wish he'd shut up."

Lulu took another bite of her pancakes, listening.

"He's a crazy son of a bitch. But, what can I do? He's my dad," Johnny told her, shrugging his shoulders, "Never misses a chance to tell me how much he wishes I were dead."

"My dad can't stand to be around me. But, he'd never tell me that. I know, though," Lulu said softly, taking another sip of her milk.

"Well, he's an idiot," Johnny voiced, "Did you hear what we are doing today?"

"Stupid three-legged race," Lulu answered, pushing her plate away, "I don't have a partner."

"No kidding. Me either," Johnny replied with a grin, "You want to be mine?"

"Your what?" Dante interrupted, taking a seat beside Lulu and casually brushing his thumb across her wrist.

She glared back at him.

"Yes, Johnny. I would love to," Lulu answered, rising to her feet and turning her back on a confused Dante.

"What did I miss?" Maxie asked, reaching for Johnny's cola and taking a sip.

"Lulu's going to be my partner in the three-legged race today," Johnny replied, as Maxie spit the cola from her mouth.

"You and Lulu?" Maxie commented.

"I'm sorry. I'm confused. I thought that you and I-" Dante started to say, drawing Lulu toward him, "Did something happen?"

"I just see things a little clearer now," Lulu whispered, pushing him away.

"Let's go somewhere and talk," Dante suggested, tugging her toward him.

"You didn't want to talk last night," Lulu told him, her voice low, "I don't feel like talking now. I'm running the race with Johnny."

"I don't care about some stupid race, Lulu," Dante answered, his tone firm, "I care about you."

"I care," Maxie interjected, pulling Dante toward her, "We're going to win this race."

"We?" Dante asked, perplexed, as Maxie grinned, "You can be my partner."


End file.
